Living “The Raw Life” With The Crew

I often get asked the question "wow what's it like feeding raw to your dogs?"

Feeding a raw diet is hardly a new concept. Well before the pet food recalls, there have been owners who feed their canines an alternative to commercial food products. Although the raw diet is much more visible these days in terms of discussion, it is still viewed, for the most part, as controversial with much debate centred on the different “approaches”. Just like in our own lives, researching  alternatives to health and nutrition should be explored before you make the conscience decision to "go for it."

The decision to investigate an alternative to commercial pet food was borne from the fact of wanting our Crew's environment to be as natural as possible. We started to read books and articles, and found mentors to to guide us along the "raw" path. 

Dogs, both domesticated & wild, are members of the carnivore family. Anatomically, they are built for the "Raw" approach to nutrition. No one describes this more eloquently than Juliette de Bairacli Levy in her book, The Complete Herbal Book for the Dog A Handbook of Natural Care & Rearing:

"... the dog is a meat eater, from the teeth fashioned for tearing and crushing, the powerful jawbones and muscles, the small, very muscular stomach, the short intestines (to avoid putrefaction of flesh foods) and, above all, the very powerful digestive juices peculiar to the carnivorous animals - digestive juices that can dissolve even lumps of bone. In health, the dog's juices, both of mouth & stomach, are strongly antiseptic, and thus "high" meat and even flesh from diseased animals - food which would kill a human being in a day - can be eaten without harmful effects."

Some past and recent pics of the Crew enjoying the "Raw Life."

"Ash" as a pup with Larry getting introduced to a turkey neck - she was so excited!

"Ash" as a pup enjoying her raw meaty meal

"Rook" as a pup enjoying a beef  bone

"Rook" as a pupster content with his elk antler - this was a leftover snack, probably from a coyote, that one of my crew dragged out from the forest.

"Ash" waiting for the Crew's meat to thaw - this meat is from a butcher in Sundre that only sells grass fed meat. He packages them conveniently for the dogs! After the meat thaws, I squeeze it into stainless steel bowls and add the extra ingredients into the mix - like cod liver oil, herbs, etc -  the ingredients depend upon the season and the individual dog.

Our Macc enjoying a banquet! I know this looks gross - but it was a culled  grass fed cow from a neighbour who gifted the crew with some great beef for keeping the coyotes off their herd. Macc did share it with the rest of the crew:-) 

I find that the raw approach helps in maintaining a nice glossy coat - Just ask Rook:-)

A pic from one of our pup homes in BC - this is "Sara" owned by David  and Debbie - Sara  loves her raw diet! She trains in tracking and Search and Rescue.

A pic of one of our pups "Creed" getting weaned on the "raw life" before making his way to his home in BC with Mary ellen - pupster 'Rook" is licking his chops in the background:-) 

My  Crew gals "Ash" and "Cybelle" sitting nicely in anticipation of their meals! They are having raw bison tonight!

One of the crew's dinners served up with all the ingredients to make a satisfying and nutritional raw meal. Ok, the candlelight and the cutlery were added to spice up the pic:-) - but, hey when you are serving raw sometimes it's fun to be creative!

A  link for those interested in learning where we started with the raw journey:
http://www.naturalrearing.com/coda/l_food_for_thought.html